A Better Way
by corneroffandom
Summary: A different way the current storyline could've gone.
1. Chapter 1

Ain't gonna lie. I've never written these characters before. On top of that, I haven't watched the last few months of ATWT episodes. They're recorded, I just haven't had the time to. I randomly came across spoilers about ten days ago and I started writing this almost immediately. I only knew base facts so it deviates from ATWT. A good deal. Which for some of you, may be a good thing? I think it was for me, haha. Living in denial, thank you very muuuuch :P As I said, I've only watched episodes up to April. So any inaccuracies can be blamed on that. And I may write more. We'll see. Just depends if it's received well ;)

It happens quickly- too quickly. He's standing there and Reid's by his side and then Chris is flat lining and his life depends on his new heart being there _now_ and Reid is offering- and another blink and he's gone, off to get the heart himself and bring it back in time for the transplant before something happens.

Logically Luke knows this but there was barely a moment to say anything to Reid- like _be careful_ or_ I'll be here-_ and he feels unsettled. Like something bad's about to happen.

Time lags then, drags on like something's holding the hands of his watch from ticking merrily away like they ordinarily do- excluding during business meetings, of course. He watches Katie pace, tears in her eyes, and feels like she does, even though he doesn't know why. Reid is fine, right? He's just racing off to go get a heart and he's a competent driver but- but...

His eyes close as he remembers Reid crashing his car into Kim's months and months ago- what made him _stay_ in Oakdale despite his best efforts- and his fingers are digging into his palm hard enough that he thinks he's about to break skin._ "_Please," he mumbles.

"Did you say something, Luke?" Alison asks, eyes shining as she too waits. Chris and her may be distant history but she still cares. The phone at the nurse's desk rings.

"No," he sighs, trying not to draw blood as his hands protest. _Ring._

Kim and Bob look as one at the orderly who smiles sheepishly at them and finally answers the phone, her brows immediately drawing together as she listens. "I... yes. I understand. We'll be ready for you," she manages, her voice oddly distant. She moves away from the desk and joins their fragmented little cluster.

Luke isn't sure why but he draws closer as she talks quietly to the Chief of Staff. "There's been an accident," he hears and his ears begin buzzing. "A train-" his eyes well up and he loses track of what she's saying for a moment. He only refocuses when she says what he's been dreading. "...Dr. Oliver's car. Ambulance and emergency vehicles are on their way."

"No," he gasps, screams, whispers- whatever volume he just spoke at, everyone looks at him as he shakes his head in denial. "No!"

Margo is waiting with Tom and she gets called to the scene within moments too to organize road blocks and keep passerbys from holding up rescue efforts. Luke snaps out of his stupor- how _did_ he end up sitting down with Alison's arm comfortingly around his shoulders?- and races after her, not even paying attention to the small squeak Ali makes when he disappears. "Wait! Wait! Margo! Detective!" He's at her car before she can peel off.

"Luke-" she blinks, startled and a little worried by the crazed look in his eyes.

"Please," he begs. "Please let me come- I need to be there. Reid, he- he's-" He's frustrated and trying not to cry and the words just don't want to come.

Something about the look on his face reminds her of Casey and she nods sharply. "Get in and do what I tell you when we get there. Do _not_ make me regret this," she tells him, having no time to argue with the devastated young man.

"Thank you," he half-sighs, half-sobs, slumping down in the passenger seat as she finally speeds off.

Her radio is going throughout the ride, some of which Luke understands, most of which he doesn't. She ignores all of it until something's said about route 95 and jaws of life, which has her grabbing for the radio as she drives one handed. "Roger that," she says smoothly. "ETA two minutes."

Luke swallows. "What was that? Jaws of life?" He starts to tremble as he thinks about what that could mean- the condition Reid could be in. _No, no... no... we- we were just getting close. Not... not this, not now... why did he have to-?_

His torturous thoughts are interrupted as Margo begins to explain. "I'm not going to lie to you. It's serious. By what I'm hearing, the car's totaled to the extent they can't safely just pull him out in the normal fashion. So they're bringing in the jaws of life. We're almost there now and I want you to stay back. I know you're going to want to be at Reid's side from the start but he's pinned and the workers are going to need space so please, stay by the car or I'll be forced to cuff you to it."

He barely focuses on her words as they come upon the scene and all he can see is flashing lights as the ambulance waits, parked at an angle near the tracks, for its patient. Police cars and an emergency response vehicle are nearby as well. "What's the status?" he hears Margo yell as soon as his brain starts working enough for him to pull himself out of the car.

"Still working on the car!" a faceless, nameless worker calls back. "We're nearly there."

"What about the heart?" he says distantly. He's barely even certain what he's saying, but repeats it, louder, after licking his lips futilely. He feels dizzy and sick- he can _see_ the bent metal of Reid's car, pressed against the train that's so_ so_ much bigger than the car. He wonders if Reid is trapped in there, conscious and scared- his claustrophobia is _so _bad- but he hopes that his lover remembers- just think about the wonders of the human brain, everything will be fine, like it was last time when they were stuck in the elevator months back.

Margo says something to one of the EMTs and they approach the car hesitantly, avoiding the jaws of life to crawl onto the hood of the car. Luke holds his breath as they look inside, wanting to see what they can see- not stand far away and wait on tether hooks to find out how Reid is- but feeling nauseous and shaky at the very thought of it, too. The man abruptly reaches in through the shattered windshield and pulls out a cooler, Margo slumping in relief as they find out it appears to be unharmed. "It's a miracle," the befuddled EMT mumbles as they put it into the ambulance for quicker transport to the hospital.

Luke shakes his head, tears trickling down his cheeks. "No... It's Reid." He rocks back and forth, his side brushing against Margo's car as he waits and waits and waits.

Reid comes to to a full-body ache that's unlike anything he's felt before. Every breath hurts, every heart beat throbs against his protesting rib cage. "Oh God," he moans breathily, barely even recognizing his own voice. Even rolling his eyes around hurts and he swallows down nausea, as he realizes how pinned in he is by metal and pain. _Think, Oliver. THINK._ His fingers twitch around something hard and cold and he opens his eyes once more, wondering when they slipped closed. _Oh no, the heart,_ he remembers with a flash, how he was racing to get back to Oakdale and was on the outskirts when he heard a train and- well aware that Chris didn't have time- raced towards the tracks just for his car to choose then to die, inching to a stop right in the middle of the train's path. He never did like the necessary evil of cars, after years of dealing with accident victims and hit and run sufferers. To be a victim himself, well, if he didn't hurt so much, he'd almost laugh.

To his amazement, the cooler seems intact which means the heart may be safe as well. He's shattered, the car's a mess, but his mission is still doable- the heart is all that matters in this moment. For Katie, for Bob, even for Chris himself. He shudders and cries out as fresh pain stabs through him, his head swimming with the need to fall unconscious. _No, I can't. Not yet... need to get..._ He's struggling to unclench his right hand from the cooler, remembering that his cell phone is in his jacket's right pocket but oh _God_ every movement feels like heated knives stabbing into his skin and- and...

"Hey buddy?" he hears suddenly and jerks, immediately crying out in pain. "Don't move, ok? I've called this in, help will be here soon."

_Not soon enough,_ he thinks, his eyes drifting closed.

He's not sure how much time has passed when he comes back to but he sees the glow of emergency lights reflecting off of the train and the car and so many other places, things seem to be swirling around so he closes his eyes desperately and just listens.

"What's the status?" a familiar female voice calls out, just barely hearable over the nonstop buzzing in his head.

"Still working on the car! Nearly there!" he hears faintly and almost sobs in relief- the sooner they get the cooler out, the better. He has little hope for himself but if he can finish what he set out to do, then he can-

"What about the heart?" echoes softly up towards him and his eyes shoot open. _Luke. Luke is here. Oh God._ His face crumbles as he wonders what he was thinking, so willing to give up when Luke is feet away, watching and waiting and hoping, his at times annoying brand of optimism refusing to let him think the worst, to let him give up on Reid.

Abruptly the buzzing cuts off and Reid swallows as silence takes over everything. He thinks for a minute maybe he's died after all but then the car shifts around him and he looks up, finding a face peering into the busted windshield. He does the only thing he can, lifts his arms bit by bit until the cooler is resting against the warped dashboard, within reach of the man staring down at him.

"Dear God," the EMT mutters, trying to carefully pry his frozen fingers from it. "Hang in there, ok? We'll have you out soon."

He struggles to nod, gasping as his grip is finally broken and the cooler is eased away from him. As soon as it's gone, his head falls back and he tries not to cry. His mission is done and he can let go now, escape this head-to-toe agony... but... _Luke_. His worthless hands twitch as the incessant buzzing resumes nearby. He thinks it should be a lot louder but everything's muted now, hidden behind a blanket of pain as he clings to consciousness, despite how scared he is right now- his claustrophobia making everything seem a thousand times worse now that he doesn't have protecting the cooler to focus on.

The sun beating down on his car isn't the cause of the sweat dripping down his forehead, nor the cause of his uneven breathing. He gasps in desperately, his head bobbing slowly against the headrest with each breath. _Just... think about a happy place,_ he remembers Luke saying back when they were stuck in that damn elevator. He closes his eyes and tries to focus, his breathing easing slowly as he envisions standing in the hall of Memorial, Luke in front of him. It's a conversation they had just a bit before Reid left to get the heart- earlier Luke had finally told him he loved him and Reid somehow found the courage to admit that he shared the younger man's feelings before leaving for Bay City. All he could think at the time was how _happy_ Luke looked, meticulously memorizing every inch of his face.

Luke watches as the police car bearing the heart drives away, sirens blaring, before turning and locating the EMT worker who had gotten close enough to free the heart from the wreckage- close enough to see Reid's condition. "How is he?" he demands, chasing after the EMT and ignoring Margo's attempts at stopping him. "Reid? Was- was he conscious? Please, you have to tell me."

The EMT locks eyes with a disapproving looking Margo, who hesitates momentarily before nodding. "He was conscious," the man hedges, his dark blue eyes looking troubled as he turns to face Luke. "He held the cooler out to me. But I'm not going to lie to you, he was... very weak."

"How weak?" Luke asks, his eyes shining as he looks back towards the car, fear seizing his heart as he waits for the EMT to say something.

"I... I had to pry his fingers off of the cooler," he admits after a moment. "He was unable..." He cuts off as Luke sags suddenly, his shoulders slumping with this news. "Whoa, whoa. Kid, come on, don't-"

"I'm ok," Luke mumbles, blinking away the sudden dizziness that had overcome him. "Oh God, Reid." He abruptly regains his strength and stands straight as the EMTs start moving around.

"We're through!" the workers call out, scrambling to get Reid out of the opening the jaws of life left in the mangled car. They work fast, one second he's still inside and the next Luke is watching as he's being placed carefully on a stretcher.

He feels like throwing up as soon as he gets close enough to look- Reid's hair is caked down with blood from a head wound, the rest of his face covered in small nicks and scrapes- _the windshield shattered,_ Luke remembers in horror-, his right wrist is swollen and bruising already and his pantleg is soaked through in blood. He thinks for a second about what kind of injuries the doctor's clothes could be hiding and starts shaking. "Reid," he chokes out, stumbling closer and ignoring the EMTs who try to keep him back. "Reid. It's me, it's Luke. You hang on, alright? I'm- I'm here, I'm right here. You're going to be fine, I promise."

"Sir, we need space to work so we can get him in the ambulance as soon as possible," a sympathetic looking woman tells him, her fingers curling around his arm. "Please."

"Reid, I love you," he calls out before allowing her to drag him away.

Margo is waiting for him, a sad look in her eyes. "Come on, Luke, we'll wait in the car until they're ready, then we'll follow them to Memorial," she urges, pushing him towards the car.

He shakes his head. "Reid needs me," he whispers.

She takes a deep breath. "I understand you want to stay with him but his condition- well, the EMTs will need all the space they can get to work on him in the ambulance. You understand, right, Luke?"

He nods numbly, eyes drifting back to the totalled car still wrapped around the train, workers clustered around it trying to clear the area. He doesn't look away until the ambulance sirens blare, the transport vehicle taking off quickly towards Oakdale.

"Here we go," Margo says with a somber look at her passenger, peeling off after it.

They reach the hospital in record time and Margo heads inside as Luke lurks by the ambulance, waiting for Reid to be wheeled out. When he finally is, he looks worse, the cuts even more obvious now against his pale skin. An oxygen mask is pressed against his face and his shirt is sliced open, revealing bruises and more cuts across his chest. "Oh God," he mumbles, trailing after the procession as they make their way into the hospital.

An already exhausted looking Katie stumbles closer, tears in her eyes and Luke shakes his head at her, not really thinking as he blocks her from the stretcher holding his too vulnerable looking boyfriend. "Don't even- don't come any closer." He sounds dangerous, close to the breaking point and she pauses, flashing a frightened look at him as Henry walks up and supports her.

"Luke-" Henry attempts but Luke roughly shakes his head.

"No, not you either. You don't like him anyway, so just- just stay away." He turns from them and watches as the hospital workers take over from the EMTs in a flurry of activity, one of the many doctors yelling out orders to clear an operating room for as soon as they've stabilized him a bit further. He blankly follows to outside the room they push Reid into and rests his head against the cool glass, praying quietly in a way he hasn't since Noah's surgery. _Please, please..._

"Luke," he hears softly from behind him and turns to find Bob staring at him sadly. "Mind sitting down?" He looks horrified and rushes to glance back into Reid's room but Bob grabs his arm, gently squeezing. "No, no, I'm sorry. There's no news, I just think you look dead on your feet and should sit down for a minute. Look, these chairs- we can see Reid's room from them. I promise, I won't take you away from him." He squeezes his shoulder once more before leading him over.

As they sink into the chairs, Luke crashes the back of his head against the wall and shudders as he remembers how blood-soaked Reid's clothes were, all the cuts and injuries mocking him as he looked him over. They sit in silence for what feels like hours before Luke finally chokes out, "Chris?"

Bob nods quietly from next to him. "The heart arrived- they're in the middle of preforming the heart transplant right now. Barring any unforeseen difficulties, it should go well."

Luke barely listens past _the heart arrived,_ his hands fisting around the rough fabric of his jeans. "Reid did it," he mumbles, closing his eyes around a stream of tears.

"Yes he did," Bob agrees softly, the appreciation and sadness flooding his voice. Reid and he may have had issues, especially when Reid first arrived in Oakdale, but a mutual respect has grown out of it and the neurosurgeon risked his life to save his son's life, even after months of arguing and insults... not to mention Chris his rival for being the Chief of Staff when Bob retires. It says a lot about Reid's true nature underneath his brash, sarcastic exterior.

Luke releases a shuddering breath and rocks forward, tangling his fingers in his hair. "God... he looked so fragile," he mumbles, unused to seeing the man like that. Even when held by claustrophobia or talking of losing a patient, he's _never_ looked so broken.

Bob rests a hand between Luke's shoulder blades and leans forward. "He's a strong, stubborn man. You just keep believing in him, Luke. We'll do our part, you have to believe he'll do his."

"Most of the staff here can't stand him," he whispers, blinking away tears.

Bob shifts and grips his jaw gently. "You listen to me." As Luke looks over at him, a little bit of regret shining in his glazed over eyes at his words, the eldest Hughes smiles, shakes his head slightly. "He's one of us now. We may not get along with him all the time but while he's in that OR, he's going to get the best care possible. I promise you that."

"Ok," Luke whispers, trusting Bob easily.

He feels like he's weighed down to the bed, an incessant beeping by his ear aggravating him as he slowly regains consciousness. Opening his eyes feels like the most arduous task ever, his fingers twitching as he finally flutters them open enough to get some sense of what's going on around him. He's in a hospital room... His eyes slip closed and an undeterminable period of time passes before he struggles to look around again. His fingers twitch and something tightens around his hand. "Reid?" he hears.

_Luke..._ When he tries to look around, his neck won't move and he starts to freak out, remembering being pinned in to _something_ and _oh God,_ he thought he was rescued but what if he's paralyzed and the beeping is louder, his chest suddenly tight and-

"Reid! Calm down, Reid!" Luke's face appears in his line of sight, worried and exhausted. "Please, just breathe. Breathe, Reid. They had to put you in a neck brace because you suffered some whiplash. I promise, you're not in danger, see?" He lifts his left arm and kisses his knuckles gently, smiling against his skin as he wiggles his fingers in response to the feather light touch of his lips before tenderly placing it back down on the bed, still clinging to it.

He hesitantly takes in a breath and the beeping from earlier starts to slow down as Luke relaxes and leans over, so they're nose to nose. "Don't ever scare me like that again," he says, obviously only half teasing.

The adrenaline fading away from Reid causes his eyes to slip closed once more even as he tries to focus on Luke's relieved smile.

The hospital is the quietest it ever is the next time he opens his eyes, which means it's late at night. It doesn't surprise him to find Luke is stretched out in a cot next to his bed, his hand hanging over the side as he faces Reid. He can move a little easier now, the drugs finally letting go of him slowly, so he lifts his left hand and brushes against Luke's fingers, smiling bitterly as the younger man shifts and rolls over, wrapping himself around the tangled sheets on his bed. _Least he won't be uncomfortable,_ he thinks sleepily, dozing back off despite his best attempts.

_It's hot, the sun is beating down on him but he doesn't care, not taking his hand off of the wheel long enough to adjust the air conditioner. The cooler with the heart within is the only thing that needs to be cool right now, after all. He's only a few minutes from Oakdale now, so Chris Hughes will get his transplant soon and he can erase the memory of Katie's angry, tear-filled eyes as she blamed him for keeping Chris' condition from her._

_He can see city limits when he hears something that makes his blood freeze- train whistle. There's no time! He floors it, desperate. _I don't have time for this!_ As he rushes closer to the train tracks, he sees it off in the distance and he shrugs it off- it's far enough away, this is no big thing. Except the car doesn't agree with him as its engine suddenly sputters and the speed slows down until it dies completely, right on the train tracks. His eyes widen. _Oh hell no._ He tries restarting it once but one quick glance up shows how the train is bearing down on him so he grabs the cooler, fumbles with the seatbelt and tries to push the door open all at once to get out and get away, but there's no time. He curses desperately and curls around the cooler, trying to protect it from the upcoming crash- too stubborn to give up his mission this close to Oakdale after all._

_The impact is jarring, the loud sound of bending metal and steel the last thing he's aware of as darkness takes over him._

_"_No!" Reid gasps, jerking fruitlessly as he attempts to sit up, intense pain coursing through his body immediately letting him know what a stupid move that was. His mind still a little foggy, he swallows thickly and mumbles something incomprehensible, trying to calm his racing heart and desperate breaths.

"Reid!" Luke sleepily exclaims from next to him, rolling off of his cot to stand next to Reid. "What happened? Do you need a doctor?"

"I am a doctor," he replies without thinking, his eyes drifting closed.

"I know that, just..." Luke's voice drifts away and he rests a hand on Reid's face. "You talked." He sounds awed. "Hey, hey, Reid, stay awake. Please, just for a little bit. Doctor Bob wants to examine you."

"Of course he does," he mumbles, leaning into Luke's touch. It takes a lot of effort due to his various aches and pains but he finally manages it, gazing up at Luke sleepily. "How's Doogie?"

Luke lets out a tired, almost pained laugh at the nickname before sitting next to Reid carefully. "Of course that would be the first thing you ask. He survived the transplant, they're watching for rejection right now."

"So the heart was still viable?"

"Yes. Amazingly enough. I guess only the most stubborn of things can survive a wreck like that." He gazes at Reid with an amazed, loving look in his eyes.

"Guess it comes in handy now and again," the neurosurgeon whispers, overwhelmed by the intensity of Luke's gaze.

"Well look who finally woke up," Bob Hughes' tired but cheerful voice interrupts their moment, as he appears at the end of Reid's bed and smiles at him.

Reid sighs, fighting his eyes as they try to slip closed. He needs to know how bad it is. "Yes, yes. But I'd like to go back to sleep sometime in the next century... so what's the verdict?"

He's chief of staff for a reason, his caring attitude and efficiency at his job making Reid's head spin- he'd never be as good at the handholding as Bob is, and being on this side of things proves it to him. But he's always been up for a challenge so he shrugs it off for now as he listens to Bob explaining his injuries _as_ he examines him and tests his awareness. "There was significant internal damage," the doctor offers after a moment of thought, choosing to be straight forward with the acerbic neurosurgeon and start with the worst of the injuries as he checks his pupils with a pen light, Luke's hand in his the only thing grounding him as his head throbs even more at the biting glow. "We had you in an OR almost immediately and it's under control now. Your wrist is fractured but has been casted and should heal nicely. You have broken ribs and some head trauma... we have you in a neck brace because of some minor whiplash... we'll be watching you for further complications but considering you're awake and aware-" He pauses to glance at Luke, who nods in relief, "- I don't think there will be. You're a very lucky man, Dr. Oliver."

Reid chuckles dryly, the dull, clinging pain that he can feel despite the medication that's leaving him sleepy and complacent keeps him from feeling too lucky. Even so... "I know."

"Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you're doing alright... And to tell you thank you." Reid blinks and Bob smiles. "My son is still alive thanks to you. We'll be keeping a close eye on you both for awhile but yes, I imagine soon enough you both will be back on your feet, arguing and driving the interns crazy." He smiles as Reid sighs at the thought, unable to shake his head from the neck brace. "I'll let you rest now. Luke, you should get some sleep too."

"Yes, Dr. Bob," he murmurs, hand still wrapped around Reid's.

As soon as it's just them again, he yawns a little before raising his eyes to look at Luke. "What exactly happened with that car anyway?"

"Police are working on the assumption that it overheated," he mumbles, eyes downcast. "Do you remember last week when you were too busy due to those surgeries so... I took it in to get its oil changed and detailed? Apparently they missed something. I'm so sorry, Reid."

He thinks briefly about what could've happened if Luke had been the driver when it chose to do something like that, his heart seizing immediately at the thought, and squeezes his hand. "Hey, not your fault," he whispers. "Hell, maybe we can sue the mechanics. Get you on People's Court or something." It's meant to add a little levity to the situation and though Luke does chuckle a little, the pain remains in his eyes as he peers down at Reid.

"Five thousand wouldn't be enough," he mumbles as Reid's eyes widen. "I was so scared." He pushes closer to Reid and carefully kisses him, making sure not to jostle the canula feeding oxygen into him to keep his levels stable as he heals.

Using his good arm, Reid strokes Luke's hair and sighs, his breath tickling Luke's face as they stare at each other. "I was too," he says honestly. He squirms a little, cringing as his body protests, and then sighs. "I remember hearing your voice while I was pinned," he murmurs. "Was I imagining things?"

"No," Luke responds, surprised. "I was there with Margo when they were trying to get you out. I didn't think you would be able to hear anything over the jaws of life."

"Jaws of-?" Reid grimaces. "Crap. I think I just shouldn't drive again."

Luke smiles weakly, not ready to joke about it just yet but he nods anyway. "Sounds like a good idea."

"But you can afford me a chauffer, couldn't you?" he smirks, even as his eyes slip closed again. Luke's hand wraps around his once more, squeezing comfortingly as he drifts.

"Anything you need," is the last thing he hears as the pain and medicine takes him back under.

Katie is waiting for him the next time he awakens, an uncomfortable look on her face as he stirs and realizes the brace is gone. "How long was I out?" he mumbles, rubbing his throat gingerly, unsurprised that moving even his non-casted arm hurts. He bites down a groan and turns his head to look at her- _ok_ yeah, that hurts but everything does, so why not one more thing?

There's a lengthy pause as she jerks at his voice, standing quickly. "Um, it's- it's 2 PM," she says, slowly reclaiming her seat when he doesn't yell at her to get out. Lord knows she deserves it after how she treated him before he risked his life to save Chris'- God, a train. A _train._ "How are you feeling?" Her eyes fill with tears as she takes in the numerous cuts across his face and arms. _Margo mentioned the windshield was shattered. He must've been so frightened._

A sarcastic response is swirling around his tongue but he takes one look at her and her wounded stare and swallows it down. "I'll live," is all he says, shifting with a small grimace as his torso throbs in time with the movement.

Her face crumples and she rests a hand on his cheek, trying and unable to find a place where she won't touch one of his many injuries. "I'm so sorry, Reid. I know you were just trying to respect Chris' wishes, I shouldn't have taken my fear and anger at him out on you." She looks from the bandage on his forehead to his arm to all of the machinery he's connected to and sobs quietly. "This is all my fault."

"I'm the one who played chicken with a train," he mumbles. "It's not your fault, Katie. Just be glad that Chris survived, and I'll be fine with some rehab."

"What did I do to deserve you?" she asks with a wavery smile, looking like she'd hug him if he could move without wanting to pass out in pain.

"Usually when people ask that, it's not complimentary," he says dryly, causing her to giggle a little.

"Only because they don't know you like I do."

"I've tried telling him that," Luke speaks up from the doorway, causing both to jerk and look at him. "Hey."

Katie looks uncomfortable again and quickly stands. "Um, yeah. I'll give you two some privacy."

"Katie, wait," Luke stops her before she can leave. "Listen, I was a little harsh with you last night. We were both scared and doing things we didn't mean... I'm sorry, ok? Don't run off on my account."

She looks relieved at his apology but shakes her head. "Don't apologize, Luke. I deserved it. And I need to check on Chris and Jacob... besides, you two definitely deserve some alone time." She smiles shakily at Reid. "I'll come visit you again soon, Reid. And thank you."

He nods, distinctly uncomfortable, as she dashes out of the room. Luke takes her seat and smiles at him. "This is weird," he mutters.

"What is?"

"I've gone from being most hated to the hero of Memorial," he explains. "Next, Kim will come in and thank me profusely."

Luke chuckles. "Is the great Reid Oliver uncomfortable with all of the attention?" When Reid doesn't say anything, Luke's jaw drops. "You're joking me. You are? Reid, come on..."

"What? I'm just not- used to it. An article, a recommendation, some accolades, fine. But a family like the Hughes acting like I've invented a way to stop global warming, and..."

His boyfriend laughs for real this time, the first since Reid rushed out of the hospital, and leans over, kissing him. "Just enjoy it, silly. Oh, and one more thing."

"What?"

"I want to be the first to sign your cast."

Reid's jaw drops this time. "What? No! I'm not having silly scribbles on my arm for everyone to see."

The impish grin doesn't leave Luke's face and Reid groans, knowing he's beat.

The next time he wakes up, Luke is nowhere to be seen- hopefully dragged off somewhere by one of his many well-meaning relatives for some rest and real food- and Hank of all people is standing over him, a pensive look on his face. He looks tired too, but not worn down like Katie or Luke, just the tiredness of a newly wed best friend who's desperate to help Katie through this. Reid's never understood their relationship and he's pretty sure he doesn't want to- all the dancing around of Henry's feelings for the blonde makes him dizzy and he's not even directly involved. How exactly Barbara Ryan deals, he's not sure.

"Hank," he greets thinly, shifting slightly and closing his eyes as the now familiar pain makes itself known once more, digging into his gut and spreading outwards. His head aches and he can now feel the itchy bandage pressed against his hairline.

The awkward man rocks forward on his feet and twists his hands. "I- I just wanted to say that I appreciate what you did. Katie couldn't take losing someone else so soon, losing Brad almost killed her. You know that, you've lived with her. She was drowning and you helped her... I still don't like you but... thanks."

Reid closes his eyes, rolling them slightly before he straightens a little and raises an eyebrow at him. "Always a way with words, Hank," he says with a hint of irony. "This isn't necessary. If I hadn't kept Doogie's secret for so long, it wouldn't have gotten this bad and none of this would've happened. So I did what I had to. Nothing more, nothing less."

He nods, his eyes dark and troubled. Reid is as much a mystery to him as he is to Reid but one thing they share is honestly caring about Katie- no matter what Reid says, his actions prove how he feels about his roommate. "Alright. Well, I'll let you rest," he says, stuttering awkwardly once more.

"At least he didn't say anything about the cast," the doctor mumbles tiredly once he slips out of the room, poking at the garish writing on his arm, a shaky version of Luke's handwriting, impeded by small imperfections in the plaster. _You should know by now I always get my way- L._ He sighs, cursing the pain medicine for making him sleep so heavily that he missed that happening. Might not have been able to stop it but he could've at least made it close to ineligible. He shifts and closes his eyes.

Another day passes slowly and Reid's finally allowed up and about- albeit in a wheelchair so as not to put stress on the healing incisions across his abdomen that he's not actually gotten a good look at since waking up, or aggravating the other injuries received when he was forced into the dashboard after the impact. Luke's stubbornness mixing with his own is the chief cause of this brief venture out so early into his recovery; he's not a very social person but staring at the same four walls for hours on end whenever he _is_ awake has grated at him until he's snapping at almost everyone. He tries to bite his tongue whenever Luke's around because he still looks like he's waiting for the bottom to drop out, Reid to develop an infection or brain bleed or something, anything that would hinder his progress. But so far everything is clear and when a nurse _and _Dr. Bob agrees to the small trip out, as long as the nurse stays by Reid's side, Luke smiles so wide that he almost looks normal, if not for the haunted look in his eyes.

Reid closes his eyes as the nurse carefully pulls the sheets off of him. He hasn't seen himself yet, too weak, chilled and achy to move the thick coverings away from his body whenever he is conscious but when Luke carefully takes his hand and squeezes, he blinks his eyes open and looks down. There are cuts all over his arms, which he knew of, but now it's obvious how bad it really was by the deep dark bruises decorating the area from knee to thigh- explains why his legs throb in time with his stomach- and bandages wrapped around his legs, more than likely from where the dashboard pinned him and sliced into his skin when the train bent the thing up like a pretzel around him. He can't remember much but he has a good enough imagination and has seen enough wrecks that he can picture it in his mind's eye.

Luke must be picturing it too- and _God_ he was there, watching as they tried to cut him free so he has the real thing stuck in his head-, based on the pale, fretful look on his face and dammit, it's killing Reid to see him like this. Especially when he thinks of how close he came to giving up while on those tracks so for a minute he forgets about the nurses and other people around and lifts Luke's hand, gently kissing his palm to snap him out of his frightened thoughts. When it works and his wide eyes are leveled on Reid's face, the neurosurgeon smiles hesitantly at him. "Ready to get out of here for a bit?"

"Yeah," he says, forcing a smile as the nurses ease Reid up into a sitting position.

It hurts and his head is swimming in a way he hasn't felt since his last hangover but the tile is cool and comforting under his feet and even though there's an uncomfortable tugging sensation across his abdomen- stitches obviously, lots and lots of stitches-, Luke's hand is warm and gentle on his shoulder as he takes in a deep breath.

"Ok?" he asks softly, feeling how tense his boyfriend is.

"Yeah," he breathes, realizing his hands are clenching the sheets bunched around his legs tightly. Luke's free hand slides down and rests on his knuckles, gently tugging until he releases the fabric. "I'm ok." He blinks the dizziness away after a moment and forces a smile at Luke, who probably sees straight through it but chooses not to comment.

"Just go slow, ok?" he asks with a pensive frown as the nurses ease Reid up and over onto the wheelchair.

He nods, closing his eyes at the motion. He despises feeling this weak, his breath sounding unnaturally loud in his ears as the bustle around him intensifies- IVs being hung from the back of the chair and soft murmurs his soundtrack for a few moments. He clings quietly to Luke's hand and just waits as he becomes re-accustomed to sitting up.

"Ready?" Luke asks after a minute, squeezing gently as the nurse takes her place behind the wheelchair.

"Yes," he says quietly, shifting tentatively as she begins pushing him out of the room. He keeps his eyes stubbornly on either the floor or walls or on the bit of Luke he can see out of the corner of his eye as they go down one hallway and another. He ignores the stares he must be receiving from coworkers and patients alike, just focuses on the sound of the wheels spinning on the floor, Luke's hand on his arm and how the air feels through his short hair as they continue on.

Luke whispers to the nurse to turn around after awhile and he blinks, realizing they're outside of the cardio wing but it's too late- "Reid?" He looks up to find Katie walking towards them, that hesitant look back on her face as she peers at him and Luke in turn.

"Hi, Katie," he says dumbly after a tense moment.

She smiles, her eyes a little wet. "It's good to see you out of that bed," she whispers, hand fluttering around waist level, as if wanting to touch him but uncertain where to. Luke's possessive hand on his shoulder is probably a really good deterrent.

Reid glances at Luke before turning back to his roommate. "How's Doogie?" he asks, attempting normalcy even as Luke stiffens next to him. It's a sensitive subject, he knows, but avoiding it does no one any good. He's suddenly hit by tiredness as the two people closest to him prolong the tense moment and returning to his bed doesn't sound that bad right now.

"He's awake, and doing so much better," she says after a few moments of staring at Luke. "I just don't know how to thank you."

Luke's hand digs into Reid's shoulder and he grits his teeth, trying not to make this harder on anyone by snapping at either of them, though he's tempted to. Instead of vocalizing anything right away, he waves off her comment. "Tell Doogie to worry about that, not you," he says with a gentle smirk as she huffs a small laugh, relief and appreciation flashing across her face.

"He... he's been asking to see you," she says slowly, eyes falling away from them now. "If it's too soon, I understand but while you're here-"

Luke's fingers are going to tear his shoulder apart if he doesn't loosen his hold so he quickly jerks his arm, looking up and over as his boyfriend's jaw drops in shock at what he was inadvertently doing to Reid. Reid rolls his eyes at Luke, reclaiming his hand and squeezing it to show things are ok. "As fascinating as a visit with Doogie sounds, Katie, I should probably head back," he says. He pointedly makes no plans to return for the conversation Chris Hughes seems to think they should have. They work together, he'll see him eventually but right now, with Luke almost vibrating with tension next to him, it's just not the right time. He thinks it may never be.

"Ok," she says faintly, a pained smile on her face. "Feel better."

He nods at her and turns to the nurse who had stepped away through this conversation. "We're ready to head back now."

"I'm sorry," Luke offers once they're out of sight of Katie. "I didn't mean..."

"I know," Reid says tiredly. "Much as I don't like him, Chris didn't put me in front of that train- that was all me. I could've found another way, waited out the train, something. But I didn't, so here we are."

"You could've died," Luke mutters, his vision swimming as he keeps up with the wheelchair.

"But I didn't." Reid tugs on his hand. "No what ifs or could'ves, Luke. I'm fine, you're fine, let's just move on."

He finds himself nodding though he knows it'll never be that simple. For either of them.


	2. Nightmares

FYI, not all chapters will be as long as the first one- with the first one, I obviously had a lot of things to get off my chest, wrap up, etc. These following chapters will just be looks into what happens to Reid and Luke following part one.

Reid gains his strength back bit by bit after that first trip out. He's still a mess of stitches and bandages, cuts and bruises but his arms and face do look a bit better, slowly healing from the shattered windshield glass. Despite the progress he's slowly making, he still tires easily and the smallest wrong movement makes his whole body throb in pain.

Luke hates seeing him in pain but can barely stand to pull himself away even long enough to get something to eat; Reid looks surprised for a brief second the first few times he wakes up to find Luke's stayed the night on that cot _again_ that's technically for family members of people who are critically injured but he doesn't say anything. Even so, Luke can tell he appreciates him being nearby when he wakes up.

It was too close a call, they came too close to losing everything. Five days after the accident, Luke settles in on the cot, facing Reid, who's sleeping peacefully after a dose of pain medicine and antibiotics. They've begun easing him off of the medicine bit by bit and as much as it bothers Luke, he understands. He wants to touch him but he's so deep asleep, it'd kill Luke to disrupt it so he sighs and burrows deeper into the thin pillow that's become a constant in his life. He knows soon Reid will probably be telling him to get a good night's sleep in his own bed but until he insists on it, Luke is comfortable right here. Before he's ready for it to happen, his eyes flutter shut and he's eased asleep to the repetitive, steady beeps of Reid's heart monitor.

_He's in Memorial's hallway. He thinks this isn't right but Reid is walking purposely out of a hospital room, a strange look on his face and he forgets everything else as the man marches up to him and cups his face, kissing him lingeringly. As he hesitantly pulls away, Reid is smiling a little and says, "I love you too. There, I said it." It's brisk and quick and completely sincere, so totally Reid that it makes Luke grin as his eyes widen- he _knew_ that Reid did but to hear it means so much. Luke's so stuck in that moment that he barely registers Reid's next words. "I need to go to Bay City. I'm going to get Doogie's heart." His fingers are still curled around Luke's jaw as if he needs the touch to ground him. "If that idiot dies before I get back..."_

_Luke shakes his head, Reid's fingers shifting with his movement. "He won't," he says, staring into Reid's eyes. "It'll work out."_

_Reid smiles again, raising an eyebrow at Luke. "Oddly enough, I'm starting to believe that. Your optimism is contagious, Mr. Snyder." For a moment, both seem to be recalling another time- another life- when every meeting between them was full of "Mr. Snyder" and "Dr. Oliver", when they weren't just Reid and Luke, and the tension was so thick that it was almost a physical entity. How quickly some things change and others remain the same. Regretfully, the moment passes and Reid pulls away reluctantly. "I have to go now."_

_Luke nods but before he can say anything else, Reid is walking away from him, towards the exit. As soon as he's out of sight, Luke feels uneasy. Time around him slows, seems to freeze- the nurse at the on-call desk is simply standing there, hand wrapped around a telephone cord as her mouth remains open, mid-word. Bob Hughes is across the hall from him, his hands halfway through his hair but too stuck there as if a prankster had glued his fingers in place. Everyone is frozen in mid-action, mid-speech, mid-something. He opens his mouth and blinks as he finds he can move just fine. __**"Reid Oliver is dead,"**__ he hears, the words echoing menacingly and a strange feeling of dread passes through him. He shakes his head, _no, no... no!He's not. He's not! _but the dread remains and he thinks he's crying. _Oh, God, no.

A hand brushes against his shoulder and he sits up with a strangled gasp, knocking the touch away. His face is wet, vision blurry as he struggles to breathe normally, the lingering emotions from the dream clinging to him like an unwanted blanket. Something touches his shoulder and eases down to rub soothingly up and down his back, following the line of his spine as the mattress behind him dips a bit.

It takes a while but finally he can hear, "Breathe in, there you go... now out. That's it. Again." Once his breathing is back under control, he focuses on the voice and starts to tremble. He knows deep inside that it was just a dream but he still needs to see for himself to break the last hold that it has on him so he twists and faces Reid, his face immediately crumpling. "Hey, what's wrong?"

He turns the rest of the way so they're facing each other and carefully, pathetically, leans forward until his head is resting against Reid's shoulder. He doesn't put his whole weight on Reid, not wanting to hurt him further, but the little bit of comfort helps. He breathes in quietly, the tension easing slowly out of him.

After a few moments, Reid whispers, "Are you ok?"

Luke nods slowly, shifting so his nose is pressed against Reid's collar bone. "Yeah, yeah." After a moment he swallows thickly and pulls away, pressing down on the cot as he sits back up. As soon as he's upright once more, he stares at Reid, realization dawning on him. "What are you doing over here? The nurses are going to _kill_ you."

"Please," he scoffs. "I saved their precious Doogie Hughes, they won't do anything."

Luke shakes his head fondly before falling serious again. "But seriously, what are you doing? If you had fallen or something-"

"Guess it's a good thing I didn't," he says nonchalantly. "Besides... you were having a panic attack. What did you want me to do?" His eyes drop down to the bedding as Reid leans forward slightly, careful not to push his body too far. "What's going on, Luke?"

"It- it was just a dream," he says quickly. Too quickly.

"About me?" Luke's stricken face gives him away and Reid sighs. He squeezes Luke's hands until he looks up. "I'm ok," he tells him simply. "Bit banged up but nothing permanent."

"It could've been so much worse," he whispers, his eyes large, dark pools of fear and anguish.

Reid curses softly, before dragging Luke closer. Despite his protests, he hugs him as best as he can with one casted arm and a crapload of stitches. "It wasn't. Don't dwell on could've beens." He pulls away and rests his forehead against Luke's so they're eye to eye, ignoring the aches and pain that make themselves known by the awkward position. "Ok?"

"Alright," Luke whispers with a thin smile, sighing as Reid kisses him. "Come on," he says after a few minutes, standing up. "Let's get you back to bed before the nurses come in." It's a long, painful shuffle even though the beds are only a few steps apart as Reid's sore body's seized up from the unexpected exercise- he's just barely allowed to walk to the bathroom with two nurses helping him every step of the way, much less anywhere else, due to his numerous injuries. Of course, he'd be stubborn enough to go to Luke no matter what the circumstances were if he thought he was needed. It makes Luke's heart hurt and swell with happiness all at the same time.

"Easy," Luke breathes into his hair as he helps him push up onto the bed, his still healing legs hanging over the side. "Now let me do the rest, ok?" Reid's breathless and pale by now, his eyes fluttering stubbornly, and Luke wonders how he did get over to the cot all on his own without collapsing. He surmises as he lifts his ankles carefully- after some awkward consideration of where to touch that would hurt the least- and shifts him more securely onto the bed that stubbornness and adrenaline must've been the chief causes and he smiles a little. As soon as Reid's settled and covered in his sheets and blanket, Luke sits on the edge of the bed and runs a hand through Reid's short hair, carefully avoiding the bandage that still covers his forehead. "Good?"

He nods sleepily, leaning into Luke's touch and whispers, "Yeah."

"Ok." He thinks briefly about moving back to the cot but as he continues combing his fingers against Reid's scalp, watching as his boyfriend quickly dozes back off, he knows he's fine where he's at.


	3. Discussions

A week after the accident, Luke goes for a walk around the hospital, needing a small break from Reid's room. He's barely had a moment to himself between Reid's rescue, surgeries, waking up, a couple other surgeries that had been minor and could wait until Reid was more stable, then the slow recovery that had followed... so now, while Reid is sleeping peacefully, he slips out and wanders the hallways, smiling at the nurses and doctors as he passes them.

Reid's talked him into returning to his mom's house for some real sleep and food but he's not ready to leave just yet. He smiles, remembering that Reid tried to go a step further and get him to stay at the farm for awhile, where his grandmother would keep him fed well and he could go to the pond when he wanted, but Lily's house is closer to the hospital so that would always win out, no matter what, and Reid knew it so he didn't argue too much with Luke when he explained that it was Lily's or the same old cot he had been sleeping in for the last six nights.

He sighs, shaking his head, wandering down the cardiology area of the hospital. Chris is doing quite well, the new heart holding up sufficiently as more time passes and the fear of rejection slowly eases away. Katie has been by a time or two since, each time to find Reid thankfully asleep. Luke is still reluctant to allow Reid to see Chris, even though he knows it's not Chris _or_ Katie's fault what happened, he came thisclose to losing Reid and it scares him... even so, he knows he can't shield Reid from everything for too long- Reid is as stubborn as Luke, after all, and he doesn't want to fight with him while he's still recovering. He's almost not surprised to find his feet have led him to outside Chris' room when he looks up, still muddling his way through these thoughts.

Katie is hesitantly walking his way, a smile on her face, and he takes a deep breath, forcing a smile at her. "Hi Luke," she greets him carefully. "I didn't expect to see you down this way." He's avoided this area of the hospital since ending up here with Reid a few days after his accident.

"Yeah, well... I guess I just wanted to see how Chris is doing," he finally manages, his smile quickly slipping away as he walks closer to her.

She looks worriedly at him before dropping her eyes, smiling a little bit despite the tension. "He's better. Dr. Dixon says things look promising. How- how is Reid?"

"Better. It's going to be a long road but he'll get there," Luke comments, taking an even breath. It's hard to think about the pain the doctor's endured since the train accident, and what is to come, but he's alive and that's the important thing.

"Of course he will," she says, as if there's no other way things could have gone. It annoys Luke but he knows he's just being unreasonable right now so he keeps his mouth shut. "I know this probably isn't the best time but... Chris still asks to see Reid. I know Reid needs time to heal and you do too, but... I think it'd be good for them. Just to see each other for a little bit. Chris still needs to thank him..."

Luke closes his eyes for a moment, trying not to picture how pale and weak Reid looked directly after the accident, _the accident that wouldn't have happened if Chris Hughes had stopped being a stubborn idiot and just gotten help from the right people, instead of dragging Reid into it and making him feel responsible..._ his brain viciously provides, his eyes snapping open. Despite his anger and pain, he actually _looks_ at Katie. Despite her attempts at putting on a strong face, her skin is pale and he can just see the dark circles hidden badly by thick makeup. She looks like he feels, kind of fragile and ready to cry at the smallest provocation. He shakes his head, taking a deep breath. "Ok," he says finally.

"Really?" she asks, lips sagging open as Luke nods dully. "Oh, my God. Thank you, Luke. This'll mean so much to Chris." She throws her arms around him, sniffing into his shoulder as she looks through the window at her resting boyfriend.

"I'm sure," he says, hugging her back awkwardly. "Listen, it might not be for awhile. Last I saw, Reid was asleep and he'll be hungry when he wakes up..."

She laughs a little at this. "That's ok," she says, pulling away. "Chris is supposed to be sleeping too right now."

It's mostly the look of relief that he sees in Katie's eyes that causes Luke to mention it to Reid despite himself the next time he's awake.

Reid's still a little pale, the stitches that will be removed in a day or two still holding his stomach together making movement awkward and painful. His legs are healing nicely, the bandages replaced by smaller wrappings that are barely visible under his much hated hospital gown. All in all, it's a vast improvement from a week ago but he still tires easily and feels sore from the impact and being pinned for so very long. Sometimes Luke worries that some of it will be something he'll just have to live with, and it makes him feel sick. Despite it all, his eyes are clear as he looks up at Luke and nods. "Yes, I want to see him."

Reservations and all, Luke works it out with the nurses and they get a wheelchair in the room within an hour. "Can someone check with Katie to make sure Chris is awake?" he asks a nurse before they even approach Reid. "I don't want to move him for nothing."

The nurse nods and bustles off. She's back within five minutes to say that yes, Chris Hughes is awake. Luke's last excuse fades away and he sighs, steeling himself to watch as the nurses ease Reid out of bed- it does go a bit easier this time, as he actually supports a bit of his own weight and settles quietly into the wheelchair, the only sign of his discomfort being his white-knuckled grip on the armrests. Luke's heart breaks anew as he leans over and rests his hands on top of Reid's, gently stroking the fingers of his casted right hand as he pries the fingers of his left from the cold plastic. "Squeeze my hand," he urges, carefully pressing his fingers together as if to remind Reid how to do the motion.

Reid releases a deep, tense breath and looks up at Luke with a small smile, the pain easing slowly as they wait in this position. "I'm ok," he says finally, the soreness from both the accident and laying in bed so much still there but muted. Luke's hand moves to his shoulder as they begin to wheel him out of the room.

"Sure you are," Luke responds with fond exasperation, following them to Chris' room.

"Which of us is the doctor?" he's asking when Bob joins them, walking in step on his left so Luke can remain on the right with a nurse trailing behind and one pushing the chair.

"I believe right now that's me," he says, casting a quick, examining eye over his patient. "You're sure you're up for this, Dr. Oliver?"

"Yes," he responds begrudgingly. "Of course I am."

"You're to stay in the wheelchair," Bob warns him. "Luke, if he tries to do anything, you do what you have to to make him stay put."

Reid sputters as his boyfriend grins impishly. "This isn't fair! I've been the perfect patient!"

"Well, you don't want to break your record, now do you?" Luke asks, his eyes twinkling as he brushes his hand against Reid's cheek. He just sighs, mollified by the look of happiness on Luke's face- so fleeting the past week- and his touch, choosing just to grumble vaguely until they push him into Chris' room. From there, the nurses and Bob leave them to their conversations, Katie standing up from Chris' bed to greet Luke and gently kiss Reid's cheek. Luke thinks the stupified look on Reid's face almost makes this whole thing worth it. Then Chris speaks.

"Hi, Reid... Luke."

Luke clears his throat awkwardly. "Hi."

Reid glances his way a moment before turning back to Chris. "How are you doing, Doogie? Better be taking good care of that heart."

It's so brusque and perfectly Reid that Chris chuckles and rolls his eyes. "I see you haven't lost your attitude," he mumbles.

Katie turns to a tense Luke, forcing a smile. "How about we let them talk?" she asks hopefully. When he looks at her in annoyed shock, she hastens to explain. "Just, we'll be standing right over here, ok? I just think they need a minute." She motions over to a couple chairs in the corner of the room and he hesitates, looking back over at Reid. When he nods at him to go, Luke releases a breath and follows her over. "It'll be ok," she promises him. "Chris will be on his best behavior... and Reid will be fine. You'll see."

Chris awkwardly picks at the bedding as he watches Katie and Luke retreat a few steps. "I heard you got in an accident," he comments, eyes falling on the healing scratches across Reid's face and casted arm. "You'll be ok?"

"Yeah," he says simply, wondering just what Chris knows. If he even knows that the accident happened while Reid was trying to get the heart. Something about this town and the people who occupy it tells him that no, he doesn't know that little nugget of information. "Some rehab and I'll be ready to take the chief of staff position from you."

Chris snorts. "Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." He falls quiet after a minute and resumes picking at the sheets. "Dr. Dixon told me some of what you did to get my heart. And I know I wouldn't have made it this far without you anyway so..." His eyes are still locked on his hands as he rolls the upcoming words around his tongue, not entirely sure what to think about saying _this_ to his long term rival, after so much time and bitterness between the two. "Thank you."

Reid nods, distinctly uncomfortable. "You're welcome," he says simply, suddenly at a loss for words. It after all is not Chris' fault that he got into the train accident, or that Luke still looks a little petrified whenever his heart machine registers a change of any kind, so there's very little to say to the man for now.

Chris frowns at him but if he finds his reaction odd, he doesn't get to say anything, a yawn slipping out of his lips as Katie stands and returns to him. "Looks like someone needs some more sleep."

He groans. "That's all I've been doing- sleeping and resting, resting and sleeping..."

"Well, that's all you'll be doing until you can stay awake for longer than ten minutes without yawning," Katie says goodnaturedly, adjusting his pillows and smoothing the sheets over his upper body. "Stop fighting it."

Reid smirks knowingly at his colleague as Luke heads to the door to find the nurse. "This is the life, isn't it?" he asks sarcastically as his own nurse comes back to wheel him back to his room.

"Oh definitely," Chris sighs, eyes already fluttering shut.

Katie follows Reid and Luke outside, leaning over till she and Reid are eye to eye. "I just wanted to say thank you."

He looks uncomfortable again, shaking his head. "You said that after the accident... remember? Or was I imagining things?"

She smiles, resting a hand on his arm. "No, I did say it then. I just felt like saying it again." She gingerly wraps her arms around him, not even minding the awkward positioning as he tentatively pats her back, obviously out of his element as she pulls away and smles at him through her tears. "I'm glad you're getting better."

He nods with a smile as she turns to reenter Chris' room and Luke takes her position in front of him. "Ready to go back?"

"Just a second." Before the nurse can begin pushing the wheelchair, Luke kneels down and kisses him softly, a hand resting on his jaw. When he pulls away, he smiles. "Ok, now we can go."


	4. Worry

He's seen a number of car accidents in his time, seen the effect they have on people. How long exactly it takes to heal, what all that can intail. So, after waking up hearing about whiplash and a head injury, he's not surprised by the headaches that keep paying visits, or the stiff neck that keeps him from moving his head around very much. Instead he keeps quiet and works through them as best he can, struggles to eat the so-called hospital food and misses his sandwiches every minute of every day.

For the first week, he barely gets Luke to leave his room for ten minutes to take a walk or go to the cafeteria. Though he understands on some level, he hates seeing how worn down Luke gets and how uncomfortable the cot appears to be. It _was _a very close call, and that's the only reason he waits so long to insist the younger man goes to his mother's house to get some real sleep.

To his utter embarrassment though, he finds that the room is bleak and empty without Luke's soft breathing a few feet away. His headache is harder to ignore without Luke nearby also, each repetitive beep on his heart monitor aggravating it even further. He sighs and huffs, rolling over carefully, his whole body protesting the movement, still a little sore from the impact. He's never felt this miserable before and the quiet seems to mock him as he tries to ignore the discomfort and sleep.

Instead, all he manages is drifting in and out for a while. Every time he does doze off, a nurse comes in to check on him or an alarm down the hall goes off, which alerts the surgeon in him, causing him to almost jerk out of bed every time. As he settles back in with a groan for the third time, he hopes that Luke is sleeping easier at his mom's.

Somehow he does fall asleep a little after 2 AM, the soft buzz of nurses talking and janitors clanking around providing just enough noise that he can almost pretend Luke is nearby, however the clinginess disturbs him. After years of being mostly alone, it still startles him how badly he wants to let someone in his life. He falls asleep with a bemused smile on his lips, uncasted hand curled around the sheets.

When he wakes up, he's still on his side and someone is settling on the bed behind him. "Luke?" he mumbles tiredly, shifting slightly.

"How'd you know?" Luke sounds honestly amused and Reid can almost picture the smile on his lips.

"Not sure who else would be sitting on my bed at 8 AM," he responds tiredly, trying to roll over. He hisses as he body protests anew, letting him know that sleeping on his side wasn't the wisest move at the moment.

"What's wrong?" Luke asks, all lightness out of his tone at the small noise of discomfort. His hand rests on Reid's shoulder, grounding him a little.

"Just stiff," he mumbles. "Can you...?" He feels ridiculous asking but Luke catches on quickly and stands up, gently but firmly easing him over onto his back and settling the sheets around his legs. "Thanks," he sighs, feeling extremely weak and pathetic in this moment since he can't even move without feeling like his whole body's going to tear apart.

"It'll get better," Luke murmurs, his gaze steady and soft as Reid finally opens his eyes and looks up at him. "I promise."

He just nods and melts into his bedding, some of the tension easing along with a bit of the pain. He's yawning when Luke touches his cheek, rubbing gently along his jawline. "What are you doing?" he inquires, surprised as his yawn cuts off.

He flushes a bit and looks away. "I was doing some research last night," he admits.

Reid frowns. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Some." At Reid's glower, he throws his hands up. "Listen, I got used to the sound of these... these machines," he says helplessly, waving a hand at the heart monitor. "It was just too quiet at my house. I couldn't relax." Reid bites down a laugh as Luke continues, "Anyway I was doing some research. You- you said you've had some headaches?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Anything else?" Luke wonders. At Reid's furrowed glance, he specifies. "Pressure behind your eyes... earaches? Stiff neck?"

"Luke, I was in a car accident, everything aches a bit right now," he says with a frown. "Why?"

"Well, I- I ended up looking whiplash last night," Luke says quietly. "There's this... TMJ that can be induced by it. Is there a chance you could have that?"

He stares at Luke in surprise, honestly touched that the younger man cares so much. But yet... "Luke, I wanted you to go home to rest last night, not obsess over me and issues that I don't have." His voice softens as he continues, taking Luke's hand and stroking around his knuckles. "Trust me, I'm a doctor... if I thought I had something like that, I would tell someone. Headaches and neck stiffness are common, and I have none of the other symptoms." He smiles as Luke seems to relax a little. "Alright?"

"Ok. I just wanted to make sure," he says.

Reid sighs and tugs on his arm, still a little too stiff to move. "Come here." As Luke leans over, he kisses him. "I'm gonna be fine. There's even rumblings that I'll be released in a few days. So just relax, ok?"

"I'll try," he mumbles against his lips, supporting himself with one hand on the bed, the other pressed carefully against Reid's chest as the kiss deepens.


End file.
